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3.8 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC 3.8 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC This section describes the existing transportation systems in South Pasadena, characterizes different modes of transportation, discusses the adopted transportation plan and policies pertinent to traffic and circulation in the area, and discusses the effects on transportation associated with the Mission Place Project (project). Mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate project impacts identified as significant are included where feasible and necessary. Discussion is also provided when mitigation measures are determined to be infeasible. The analysis was prepared by Arch Beach Consulting and presents results of the traffic impact analysis (TIA) conducted for the project. The analysis was conducted to evaluate project impacts on the surrounding transportation system and to identify measures to mitigate any significant impacts. The TIA was prepared based on the City’s General Plan Circulation and Accessibility Element, requirements of the City’s Public Works Department, the Los Angeles County Congestion Management Program (CMP), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Appendix G includes the full TIA and its appendices. This section refers the reader to TIA chapters, figures, tables, and appendices for more detailed discussion. A summary of the impact conclusions related to transportation and traffic is provided below. As discussed in the project’s Initial Study (Appendix A) and in Section 3.0, subsection 3.3, Impacts Found to Be Less Than Significant, of this Draft EIR, the project would have a less than significant impact, if any, related to Impacts 3.8.2, 3.8.3, 3.8.4, 3.8.5, and 3.8.7. Therefore, these topics will not be discussed further in this Draft EIR. Impact Number Impact Topic Impact Significance 3.8.1 Conflict with an applicable plan, ordinance, or policy Less than significant Conflict with an applicable congestion management 3.8.2 Less than significant program Air traffic pattern impacts under existing plus project 3.8.3 No impact conditions 3.8.4 Increased hazards due to a design feature Less than significant Emergency access impacts under existing plus project 3.8.5 Less than significant conditions Conflict with adopted policies, plans, or programs 3.8.6 Less than significant regarding public transit, bicycle, or pedestrian facilities 3.8.7 Result in inadequate parking capacity Less than significant 3.8.8 Cumulative traffic impacts Less than cumulatively considerable 3.8.1 EXISTING SETTING The circulation system serving South Pasadena consists of roadways, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, the public transit system, and railroad facilities. Travel characteristics, major transportation facilities, and existing travel conditions in the project area are described below. EXISTING ROADWAY NETWORK South Pasadena is traversed by a number of key regional and local transportation facilities. This extensive transportation network provides circulation and mobility that allow local and regional connectivity. Roadways with the highest average daily traffic (ADT) volumes are those that provide north–south and east–west connections across regional facilities (Interstate 110) and South Pasadena Unified School District Mission Place Project January 2016 Draft EIR 3.8-1 3.8 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC railroads or serve as parallel routes to regional roadways. The overall condition of the local street system, as well as the standards to which the improvements were originally constructed, varies by location. Local streets are designed for high accessibility (access to adjacent properties) and low mobility (throughput of traffic movement). Conversely, freeways are designed for low accessibility, with limited connections to other facilities provided by grade-separated interchanges, and high mobility. South Pasadena’s street network comprises freeways, expressways, major and minor arterial streets, commercial/industrial collectors, residential collectors, local streets, interchanges, freeway connectors, and rail lines. The city’s main vehicular roadway types are freeways, expressways, arterial streets, and local streets. Freeways are facilities designed solely for traffic movement, providing no access to abutting properties, and designed to separate all conflicting traffic movements through the use of grade- separated interchanges. Expressways are facilities designed primarily for traffic movement and provide limited access to abutting properties. These facilities generally include median areas dividing traffic directions, some intersecting streets allowing only right-turn access, some grade- separated interchanges, and some signalized intersections allowing full access. Interstate 110 (I-110) traverses South Pasadena and provides regional access to the project area. Arterial streets are roadways that accommodate major movements of traffic not served by freeways or multilane highways. They are designed mainly for the movement of through traffic; the provision of access to abutting properties is a secondary function. On-street parking and loading may be restricted or prohibited to improve the capacity for moving traffic. The number of lanes on this type of facility depends on its function, its location, and the volume of traffic it is expected to handle; however, arterials are generally planned to have four or more travel lanes (two or more in each direction) and/or serve traffic at speeds greater than 30 miles per hour (mph). Fair Oaks Avenue is an example of a major arterial, while minor arterials include Mission Street, Monterey Road, and Fremont Avenue. Collector streets are facilities that serve internal traffic movements in a specific area or neighborhood and provide connections to the arterial street system. South Pasadena includes both commercial/industrial collectors and residential collectors. Collectors typically do not serve through trips but can provide access to abutting properties. El Centro Street is an example of a collector. Local streets provide access to immediately adjacent properties. These low-speed streets may be subdivided into classes according to the type of land served, such as residential or industrial, or the slope of the roadway. The vast majority of streets in the city are local streets. Diamond Avenue and Fairview Avenue are two local streets located in the project area. Regional access to the site is provided by I-110 to the north, via its interchanges with Orange Grove Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, and Pasadena Avenue. Local access is provided by Mission Street, Monterey Road, Meridian Avenue, and Diamond Avenue. Descriptions of the roadways are presented below. Figure 3.8-1 shows the locations of these facilities in relation to the project site. Interstate 110 (freeway) is a six-lane divided north–south freeway, but it travels in an east– west direction through South Pasadena. I-110 originates in the north in Pasadena and terminates in the south at the Port of Long Beach. Mission Place Project South Pasadena Unified School District Draft EIR January 2016 3.8-2 T:\_CS\Work\South Pasadena Unified School District\Mission Place\Figures Source: Arch Beach Consulting Figure 3.8-1 Not To Scale Project Site Location and Study Area 3.8 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC This page is intentionally left blank. Mission Place Project South Pasadena Unified School District Draft EIR January 2016 3.8-4 3.8 TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC Mission Street (minor arterial) is a four-lane undivided roadway trending in an east–west direction west of Fair Oaks Avenue. East of Fair Oaks Avenue, Mission Street is a two-lane undivided roadway. On-street parking is permitted. The posted speed limit on Mission Street is 30 mph. It is classified as a minor arterial street in the City’s General Plan Circulation and Accessibility Element. In addition, on Meridian Avenue, between Mission Street and El Centro Street, a weekly farmers market occurs every Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This segment of Meridian Avenue is closed to vehicular traffic, and pedestrian/bicycle traffic arrives to the market via Mission Street and El Centro Street. Mission Street is a designated truck route from Pasadena Avenue to Fair Oaks Avenue. Diamond Avenue (local) is a two-lane undivided north–south street. However, between El Centro Street and Oxley Street, Diamond Avenue is one-way single-lane street that travels in a northbound direction. South of and adjacent to the project site, Diamond Avenue, Fairview Avenue, and Oxley Street form a one-way loop that travels in a clockwise direction around the South Pasadena Public Library. On-street parking is permitted on both sides of Diamond Avenue with a two-hour limit between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. South of El Centro Street, the parking time limit is three hours between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Diamond Avenue is classified as a local street in the City’s General Plan and is part of the City’s Mission-Meridian Preferential Parking District. Fairview Avenue (local) is also a two-lane undivided north–south street. Between El Centro Street and Oxley Street, Fairview Avenue is a one-way single-lane street that travels in a southbound direction. South of and adjacent to the project site, Fairview Avenue, Diamond Avenue, and Oxley Street form a one-way loop that travels in a clockwise direction around the library. On-street parking is permitted on both sides of Fairview Avenue with a two-hour limit between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. South of El Centro Street, the parking time limit is four hours between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. El Centro Street (collector) is a two-lane undivided east–west street. On-street parking is permitted. The posted speed limit on EI Centro Street is 25 mph. Monterey Road (minor arterial) is a four-lane undivided roadway trending in an east– west direction west of Fair Oaks Avenue. East of Fair Oaks Avenue, Monterey Road transitions to a two-lane undivided roadway. On-street parking is permitted. The posted speed limit on Monterey Road is 35 mph west of Fair Oaks Avenue, and 30 mph east of Fair Oaks Avenue.